Abstract
Abstract There are increasing evidences that adjusting the chemistry of the injecting water improves the oil recovery efficiency. However, the underlying mechanisms for this technique which is referred to as “smart waterflood” have not yet been thoroughly understood. It is needed to explore the role of individual ions through set of different tests, to find the right mechanisms behind “smart waterflood”. This study is focused on the fluid/solid (carbonate) interactions through systematic wettability measurement. Contact angle measurements accompanied by spontaneous imbibition tests were employed to determine the role of individual monovalent and divalent ions in wettability alteration process by “smart water”. The results verified that Mg 2+ alone changes the surface wettability. Moreover, SO 4 2− plays a catalytic role during wettability alteration process by Mg 2+ . This paper also presents a chemical based mechanism for wettability alteration by Mg 2+ during “smart waterflood” in carbonate rocks. The results indicated that the performance of “smart waterflood” in less water-wet carbonate surfaces is critically affected by ion composition including water salinity, while in water-wet carbonate surfaces it is affected only by water salinity.
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